Search Results for: Change Management

Stop Being Blind to Risk

Make Use of a Risk Cost Calculator and Risk Matrix

Risk is probabilistic—a risk event may happen or it may not. The human mind struggles to understand probability until you make a picture.

Here is a simple visual management tool to let you see the impact of changing risk. Combine it with a risk cost calculator and you have an effective way to see how your risk changes with risk management plans and risk abatements

We are blind to risk. Most of us have to suffer a risk event before we know we are in one. We first experience pain and then we realise that we need to stop doing what is causing the pain.

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by Joe Anderson Leave a Comment

Mastering Maintenance Leadership

The Blueprint for Strategic Business Planning

In the realm of maintenance leadership, strategic business planning isn’t an option; it’s a prerequisite for success. The dynamic interplay of technology, industry standards, and organizational needs demands a clear roadmap for navigating the complex landscape of maintenance and reliability. Here, we delve into the significance of maintenance leadership in business planning and how it paves the way for optimal asset management and operational excellence.

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by JD Solomon Leave a Comment

So, You Want Better Team Dynamics and Collaboration? Try CATER

The mental model CATER will help you recall the five techniques that improve collaboration and team dynamics. CATER does two big things necessary for all greatly facilitated sessions. The mental model creates comparable knowledge among participants and opens feedback channels for successful collaboration.

CATER

CATER is a mental model that identifies the core components of a system and helps you wrap your head around how the components interact. [Read more…]

by Larry George Leave a Comment

Convert AFRs to Field Reliability?

AFRs are periodic ratios of failure counts divided by installed base. Have you seen meeting rooms wallpapered with AFR charts (Annualized Failure Rate)? Have you sat through debates about the wiggles in AFR charts? Fred Schenkelberg wondered if reliability could be estimated from AFRs and their input data? How about age-specific reliability and actuarial failure rate functions? Actuarial forecasts? MTBFs? Wonder no more!

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by Mike Sondalini Leave a Comment

Unique Insights and Thoughts Behind the Plant Wellness Way

UNLIKE LEAN AND SIX SIGMA, THE PLANT WELLNESS WAY DIFFERENCE IS IT PREVENTS OPERATING RISKS FROM STARTING WITH A SYSTEM THAT IS BUSINESS-WIDE AND GOES END-TO-END OF THE WHOLE ASSET LIFE CYCLE

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Lean and Six Sigma are point-in-time problem focused methodologies, where as PWW EAM System-of-Reliability uses the whole life cycle to build business and operational systems with processes that continually optimize productivity, minimize risk, and generate maximum operating profits.

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by JD Solomon Leave a Comment

Communication and Facilitation Secrets for Reliability Engineers

Things get a little dirty when humans get involved. In any system, human involvement can sometimes cause delays or issues. Here are some effective communication and facilitation secrets for reliability engineers.

Communication

Communication is the exchange of information from one person to another.

Communication requires a sender, a receiver, and a message. Technical professionals (sender) usually believe the decision maker (receiver) cannot understand the message because the decision maker is not as smart as they are. Most of the time, the lack of understanding comes from the noise the sender generates. The burden of effective communication is on the send (technical professional), not the receiver (decision maker).

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by James Reyes-Picknell Leave a Comment

A Systematic Process of Data Collection

Article first posted at Conscious Reliability by James Reyes-Picknell, Jesus Sifonte, and team.

Condition Monitoring – A Closer Look

By Jesús R. Sifonte

Condition Monitoring is a broad term referring to the systematic process of data collection for the evaluation of asset’s performance, reliability and maintenance needs with the purpose of planning repair works. Its main purpose is Potential Failures finding. It requires the collection of good asset’s health data which trending is studied. The primary advantage of Condition Monitoring is that it incorporates health indicator monitoring activities performed while the machine is operating. Assets failures are predicted well in advance of their occurrence. It allows for planning repairs safely and economically for the plant. Also, machine parameter data trending allows extending assets operation as close as possible to their actual useful life. Condition Monitoring data provides vital information for taking important decisions affecting plant operation goals. Maintenance decisions are taken based on the actual asset condition avoiding unnecessary repairs leading to start up failures. Catastrophic failures of a critical assets presenting accelerated wear trends can be avoided by using C tasks too. Sometimes operating conditions changes causing components life expectance to reduce as noted by steeper indicators trends leading to unexpected catastrophic failures. This can be detected by CM and earlier planned shutdowns can avoid such disasters.

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by Joe Anderson Leave a Comment

Mastering Lubrication Excellence

Building a World-Class Lubrication Program

In the industrial landscape, the humble lubricant might seem inconspicuous, but it plays a pivotal role in ensuring the smooth operation of machinery, reducing friction, and extending the life of critical assets. Achieving lubrication excellence isn’t just a matter of choosing the right oil; it’s about developing a comprehensive program that encompasses the best practices, advanced technologies, and a culture of precision. In this blog, we will explore the methods to build a world-class lubrication program that’s the cornerstone of operational success.

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by JD Solomon Leave a Comment

What is the FINESSE Fishbone Diagram?

FINESSE is a fishbone diagram, a mnemonic, and a mental model. FINESSE stands for Frame, Illustrate, Noise Reduction, Empathy, Structure, Synergy, and Ethics. Systems thinking as applied to effective communication is the cornerstone of FINESSE. We’ll briefly explore these aspects in this article.

FINESSE as a Mnemonic

Acronyms are a subset of mnemonics that use the first letter of each word to create another memorable word. FINESSE is both an acronym and a mnemonic. [Read more…]

by Karl Burnett Leave a Comment

Introduction of Copper Sheathing

Between 1670 and 1700, the Royal Navy installed lead sheets over the hulls of some ships to help preserve them and reduce repairs. (See Failure Modes of Lead Hull Sheathing Explored by the Royal Navy.) Galvanic corrosion attacked the iron bolts holding the hull and rudder together, so the program had to be canceled.

The British reverted to their previous practice of installing thin wood sheathing on top of the main hull. The wood sheathing was sacrificial and had to be replaced every few years. When the sheathing was stripped for replacement, inspection and repair of the main hull was accomplished.

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by JD Solomon Leave a Comment

Why Systems Thinking Produces Effective Communication

Have you ever heard of a communication system? You likely have, but you’ve probably not considered what that means. The good news for most of us is that communication is indeed a system. Even better, as technical professionals, we are blessed with the reality of what that means. The next time you serve as a trusted advisor, remember that effective communication requires systems thinking.

System Defined

A system is a collection of interrelated or interacting parts, each of which can affect the behavior or outcomes of the whole. One defining property of a system is that it provides a function that none of the parts can accomplish by themselves. The corollary is that a system is not the sum of the parts but the product of their interactions.

Simple examples include the mechanical advantage gained from a system of pulleys or a gearbox. Sports teams or work units are examples of human systems. Systems are essential aspects of our everyday lives.

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by Mike Sondalini Leave a Comment

The Fallacy and Danger of Maintenance Audits

Maintenance Audits do not bring You Maintenance Success

The very best monitoring and measuring analysis you can do for your company’s maintenance success is to develop the distribution curves of your range of maintenance KPI’s.

At least they will be useful in the honest decision-making you need to do to continually become a better and better maintenance performer.

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by Greg Hutchins Leave a Comment

Data Everywhere and Still Project Indecision

Guest Post by Malcolm Peart (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)

“Water water everywhere, not a drop to drink” is the modern and well-known phraseology from the English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s 1798 poem “The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner”. In essence this means that despite being surrounded by an abundance of something one cannot benefit from it.

In today’s Information Age we are surrounded by data. It’s everywhere and often available at the touch of a button, or rather a screen. Instant and easy access is demanded but despite computers and the internet the right data is not always so easily or readily found. Data, and the right data is an essential ingredient for decision making.

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by Joe Anderson Leave a Comment

Elevating Excellence: Unveiling the Art of Maintenance, Repairs, and Operations Process Development

In the intricate web of industrial operations, maintenance, repairs, and operations (MRO) process development stands as the unsung hero, optimizing workflows, minimizing downtime, and ensuring the seamless continuity of production. It’s a craft that requires precision, strategic planning, and a knack for efficiency. Let’s embark on a journey to uncover the art of MRO process development and why it’s the lynchpin of high-quality operations.

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by Carl S. Carlson Leave a Comment

When is FMEA complete?

“Life calls not for perfection, but for completeness.” Carl Jung

One of the common FMEA questions that comes up is: When is an FMEA complete? You’d think it would be simple, but many organizations and practitioners get it wrong.

In this article, I’ll begin with the purpose of Design and Process FMEAs, and from there, we’ll examine two very different approaches to completing an FMEA.

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